Hubby and I went for a long ski in the mountains the other day. This is Mt Audubon in the Brainard Lake Area in Colorado. As we were hiking out we came across a fit man. I stopped to talk to him (he had interesting skis on) and he told us he was heading to a cabin in the park where he was meeting friends, most of whom worked for the National Park Service. One of his friends was turning 40 and they were skiing and snowboarding in the mountains there for they guy’s birthday.

Sounds like fun, right? Then I imagined what it would be like to be a woman out for a day of skiing who runs into trouble. She finds the cabin and stumbles into a room full of outdoorsy, and rugged, men.

So that’s where this story starter begins…

Your heroine is dodging a terrible snowstorm. She finds the cabin and decides to take shelter there until the storm passes. She finds herself amidst a man’s weekend. What happens next? Are they happy to see her? Disgruntled? Does she feel threatened? If you write erotic romance this is certainly fodder for a kinky scene or two.

I have a more dialogue heavy style which doesn’t rely on too much description unless it’s part of the dialogue. However, I believe that everyone can benefit from practicing and improving their descriptive skills. Imagine your readers being able to become gracefully enveloped into your story and forget their reality for a short while. That’s what we all want, right?

So here’s a fun way to broaden your descriptive skills and step outside of the sensory box.

http://www.bluecatsandchartreusekittens.com/Blue_Cats_and_Chartreuse_Kittens_Rel.html

Are you familiar with the concept of Synesthesia?

It’s actually a condition where the senses mix up.

According to Synesthete.org  “Synesthesia is a perceptual condition of mixed sensations: a stimulus in one sensory modality (e.g., hearing) involuntarily elicits a sensation/experience in another modality (e.g. vision). Likewise, perception of a form (e.g., a letter) may induce an unusual perception in the same modality (e.g. a color).”

For example, a person may hear a color or taste a sound. Interesting, right?

So here’s the fun exercise:

Write down the colors of the rainbow on a piece of paper. ROYGBIV, right?

Then next to each color write down what the color would taste like? What would it smell like? How would it sound? Have fun with this exercise, let your imagination go with this.

Once you’ve covered the basic colors consider broadening your horizons. Get out one of those 64 boxes of crayons. Pull a crayon out of the box and imagine what the color would sound, feel, smell and taste like.

You can download the print here http://blendedsosplendid.blogspot.com/2011/03/she-believed-she-could-so-she-did.html

“The belief in a thing makes it happen.”
- Frank Lloyd Wright

Your heroine owns a candy shop. Every day she gets up early and makes delicious chocolate candies – (hungry yet?).

Every day the same man comes into her shop and buys a small gift box of chocolates. Who is he? Why does he buy a gift box of chocolates every day?

What does the dying relative ask your heroine to do and who does she meet?

Your brain is a marvelous organ!

And like the rest of your body, you don’t want to take it for granted. In fact, if you exercise your brain you’ll find that it’s easier to write and to tap into your creative side.

So how do you exercise your brain?

Well there are the common ways. They’re quick, easy, usually fun, and they work. For example, spend some time doing a crossword puzzle or playing word games. If you’re a social person then Words with Friends is fun.

But what about brain exercises beyond basic word games?

The other day I thought I may have broken my hand while at the rock climbing gym. I’m right handed and it was my right hand. It swelled up and hurt tremendously. But I still had work to do, children to pick up and errands to run. Thus, I turned to my always present and frequently underused left hand.

Everything I did for the rest of the day was done with my non-dominant hand. It was a real challenge and extremely slow. But it did exercise my brain. It forced me to think about how I move and use my hands. Try it. Try brushing your teeth, pouring a cup of coffee or writing with your non-dominant hand.

Challenging your senses is another way to strengthen your brain.

Pay attention to what you see, hear, feel and smell. Engage your senses and use them in different ways. Instead of tasting a strawberry, try to hear it or feel it. Instead of listening to music, think about what a song might smell like.

Find different ways to look at the world around you and to experience it.

Yes, word games and puzzles are good ways to strengthen your brain but consider taking it a few steps further. Really challenge your brain to create new associations and connections. You’ll change the way you look at the world and you’ll open up a world of possibilities in your writing.

Your heroine is getting her fortune told. Maybe she’s doing it on a whim or maybe she believes in the paranormal (you decide). The fortune teller tells her something shocking about her future. What does she learn and what does she do with the information?

Happy Friday!

Colorado is going a bit crazy today. The big playoff game between the Patriots (ahhhh, Tom Brady is so dreamy) and the Broncos (gush, Tim Tebow’s arms make me swoon) is tomorrow.

Regardless of the outcome, go Broncos!, I am looking forward to the game. The Broncos have been fun to watch this season. So I’ll wear my orange and yes, I’m considering buying my dog a jersey to wear during the game.

Today is also the last day of One Life to Live on ABC

The soap opera set in Llanview Pennsylvania has been on for 43 years. I’ve been watching it since I was in junior high. I inherited it from my mother along with General Hospital and the recently deceased All My Children.

I believe that soap operas did play a role in my desire to become a writer. The characters created on soaps along with the heartbreaking stories, and the fantastical stories like the General Hospital weather machine, helped me see the possibilities for fiction and gain an appreciation for a romantic storyline. I’ll be setting work aside today for one hour and to watch the final episode and say goodbye.

How Often Do You Look in the (Romance Writing) Mirror and Like What You See?

For me I think it’s about 75/25. Most of the time I’m pretty content with what I see in the mirror. But there are those days when I look in the mirror and instead of seeing a goddess, I see a ghoul.

Writing is a lot like looking in the mirror.

Sometimes you read your pages and you think, “hey, I’m pretty good.” Other times you read it and it’s all just crap.

Those crappy days can really be a downer and they suck the motivation and productivity right out of you.

The Solution to The Ghoulish Writing Days?

Stop looking in the mirror so darn much!

Yes, you do need to read your pages and analyze your craft and progress but you don’t need to do it every day. Part of writing is faith. Have the faith that you’re doing the best you can and continue writing. The revision process is waiting for you and that’s when you can really scrutinize your pages and look for flaws.